


Stories from the Crystal

by Pastaverse



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, And Deet being the sweet understanding girl she is, Blood and Gore, Deet and Rian as babies, F/M, Family Fluff, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Pregnancy, Rian being overprotective, Story within a Story, Violence, Visions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:02:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21808633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pastaverse/pseuds/Pastaverse
Summary: Various stories revolving around various Dark Crystal/Age of Resistance characters and relationshipsMost stories will be based off of prompts. Requests are open.
Relationships: Deet/Rian (Dark Crystal), Lath'N/Mitjan (Dark Crystal), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 12
Kudos: 31





	1. Castle imprisonment

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to request stories around any character or ship! 
> 
> The only thing to know is that I won't do smut. Referenced/Implied sexual content is fine, but I won't write full-om smut. I have nothing against it, I just don't like writing it.
> 
> Based off of: https://whumpster-dumpster.tumblr.com/post/180738459087/character-a-tilting-character-bs-chin-up-to-get-a

The Resistance had infiltrated the Castle of the Crystal. After what felt like trine of planning, they finally came up with a plan. A plan that worked like a charm.

Rian had managed to sneak away from the heat of the battle. While fighting the Skeksis was one of the reasons he was at the castle, there was a bigger, more important reason why he was there. He knew she was there. He just had to find her.

The sounds of battle faded as he went deeper into the castle. He had no reason to worry about being caught since all the Skeksis were busy fighting off the sudden attack on their castle, but he still tried to keep quiet, just in case. 

Still no sign of her. He began to grow desperate, running through the castle halls, clinging tight to his sword. He hated to admit it, but he was beginning to lose hope, and he was beginning to think that Deet wasn’t there, and that the feeling he felt earlier was just false hope. Then he heard it.

A faint whimper, coming from his right. It was almost too quiet for his ears to pick up. But due to the silence in the deep hallways of the castle, he heard it plain as day. He quickly followed the noise, leading him into the Skeksis Laboratory.

He almost didn’t recognize the lab. It had been a while since he and Gurjin snuck into the lab to steal Mira’s essence, but once he saw the shaft where the crystal was being kept, all the memories came flooding back  
.  
He didn’t have time to think for long. There it was again. Another whimper, more faint than the last one. He turned towards the source of the noise. A Gelfling was trapped in one of the lab’s cages. The Gelfling was laying face down on the floor, but Rian recognized who it was. It was hard to mistake all of that flyaway white hair. The keys to the cages were laying on a nearby table. Rian grabbed them and unlocked the cage, running over to Deet once he got the door open. He gently hauled her up into a sitting position, so that she was leaning against the wall. 

Rian ran his fingers through Deet’s hair. All of her little braids and ponytails had been removed, and was an unkempt, dirty mess, full of stubborn knots and tangles. However, her hair wasn’t the worst part. 

In the faint light, Rian could pick out the details in her face. Her face was dirty, covered in several thin scratches. There was a deep gash above her right eyebrow, almost hidden under her hair. One of her eyes were bruised, akin to a black eye. Her lips were also covered in scratches, one of the cuts still bleeding, the blood running down her chin, dripping onto the floor. Burn marks littered her arms and hands, and her dress was tattered and torn. Her legs had deep cuts on her shins, which were crudely stitched shut, most likely by the Scientist to prevent her from bleeding out.

Rian placed his hand on Deet’s shoulder to try and shake her out of her unconsciousness, but he paused when he felt a wet substance on the back of her shoulder. He pulled his hand away to find a shiny, slick pink substance on his fingers. 

He felt his eyes go wide. Rian gently leaned Deet’s body forward. He already knew what he would find, but he couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped from his mouth. Just above her wings were four pinprick marks. Another set of marks were on her other shoulder, both sets still bleeding slowly. 

Rian felt his anger rise. Knowing that the Skeksis had forcefully strapped her to the draining chair to have her essence drained from her by the crystal. Rian’s thoughts shifted again. This time, it was the time when he was rescued by Naia and Gurjin from the Chamberlain’s carriage. While the group sat by the fire Kylan had made, Gurjin explained what the Skeksis did to him, including that he was “drained” multiple times to make him less defiant. And the fact that Deet’s wounds were still bleeding, Rian came to the conclusion that she had undergone the same treatment. Rian stood up. He didn’t want to leave Deet in the cage, but she most likely couldn’t carry her own weight, and Rian couldn’t carry her. He’d need both of his hands free in case he ran into a foe, and he didn’t want Deet to get recaptured. He gently ran his fingers through her hair again. “I’ll be back, love.” He whispered to her. He was unsure if she could hear him, but he didn’t want her to feel alone, or forgotten.

He turned to leave, but something grabbed his wrist, preventing him from moving. “No, p-please. D-Don’t leave me.”

Rian turned around. Deet was clutching his wrist tightly, her dark brown eyes swimming with tears. “Don’t leave me d-down here alone.” She said shakily. Her voice was raw and jagged, like someone had tried and failed to saw out her vocal cords. 

“Deet!” Rian dropped to his knees to wrap Deet in a tight hug, ignoring the blood on the back of her dress and Deet’s tears that were dripping onto his armor. He pulled away, cupping her face in his hands. His excitement and relief were quickly replaced with previous anger once his eyes scanned over the wounds on her face. He cupped her chin, wiping away the streak of blood that dripped from her lip with his thumb.

“Deet.” Rian’s voice was calm, but there was restrained anger in his tone. “Tell me. Who did this to you?”

“T-They all did.” Her voice was shaky, and tears began to spill from her eyes. “All of them. The Skeksis.”

Rian’s expression was emotionless, but there was anger in his eyes. Deet could see it behind the pale blue of his eyes. The eyes that were normally full of love, now full of resentment.

Rian stood up. “I’m sorry. But there’s something I need to do.” He turned and made his way to the cage’s door.

“W-What? No!” Deet tried to stand, but she wasn’t able to hold herself up. She fell back down on her knees with a cry. “Rian! Please! D-Don’t leave me down here! It’s s-so cold...and lonely...”

“Deet, I know. I don’t want to leave you here either. But the Resistance is currently locked in a battle with the Skeksis, and I need to help them. I promise you once the battle is over, I’ll come and get you. Win or lose.”

“You p-promise?” Deet asked.

“I promise.” Rian nodded. “I promise, love.”

Deet smiled weakly. It was the first time she smiled in a long time, and she welcomed it.  
“Okay. Please hurry back. I’ll be waiting right here.”


	2. Baby blues with worried hues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Feirce_Naia
> 
> First story request done! 
> 
> The next story will be coming out as soon as possible. I have exams next week, but I also have 3 days off, so I'll have more time to write as well!

Deet hummed quietly to herself as she carefully sat down at the river’s bank, closing her eyes to try and relax her racing mind. It was the first time in a while that she had managed to find time for herself, so she took the chance of sneaking away to the Black River outside Stone-in-the-Wood. 

The war they were waging against the Skeksis made everyone nervous, but Deet and Rian had another situation that had put them on edge, and that was Deet discovering that she was pregnant. 

It wasn’t the baby that had them nervous, but it was the timing. Deet hated the idea of having a child during a time of war, but she eventually put that idea behind her and decided to focus on the positives. She was finally going to be a mother, something she wanted ever since she was young. And even though the timing wasn’t the best, she was sure that the child would shed some light on the dark present.

She focused on the sounds of the river, taking deep breaths, feeling the moist air on her skin. The smell of the river water combined with the smell of the fresh moss on the trees put her mind at ease. She opened her eyes, soaking in the colors of the setting suns.

—-  
It was beginning to get dark, the sounds of the night-time creatures reminding her of her home back in Grot. Even though she lived on the surface with Rian, her home would always be in Grot among the glow moss and old arathim nests.

She stood up from her spot, stretching lightly. She had been sitting by the river for a long while now, but she didn’t want to go back just yet. Instead, she waded into the water.

The water was warm, which surprised Deet slightly, but was welcome nonetheless. It was a cold night, and that only made the water more inviting. 

Deet knew how to swim, so she could’ve waded deeper into the river if she wanted to, but she decided against it. She tired more easily, plus she was beginning to show, and it weighed her down a bit. It would’ve been a risk if she went deeper, so she stood in the shallows.

She stood still, her hands folded across her belly, enjoying the quiet sounds of the forest. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a sound come from the woods behind her. Her eyes went wide. She was completely exposed. There was nowhere for her to hide if a dangerous creature ran out of the trees. But she unfurled her wings just in case. 

Rian stumbled out of the forest, cursing under his breath. He looked up, his eyes focusing on Deet.

“There you are!” He approached Deet, standing at the bank of the river. “Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry Rian.” Deet said, her ears lowering with embarrassment. “I must’ve lost track of time.”

“Do you know how worried I was, Deet? I couldn’t find you anywhere, and no one else knew where you were. I was beginning to think that something had eaten you up!”

“Again, I’m sorry!” Deet’s ears lowered again, and her wings twitched.

“Come, Deet.” Rian held out his hand. “Let’s get you back home.”

—-  
“I’m sorry for snapping at you, but I was just so worried.” Rian explained, gently squeezing Deet’s hand. 

“I understand, Rian.” Deet responded. “I should’ve told someone where I was at.”

“No, I shouldn’t be so overbearing. I’m just so worried about the baby getting hurt, and I know that you need your space.”

“Oh, Rian. I don’t find you overbearing.” Deet said, pressing her forehead against his. “I’m also worried, but I know that everything will be alright. It’s like you always say. It will be better.”

Rian smiled. “You’re right.” He placed a hand on her stomach, placing a kiss on her forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too, skybaby.”


	3. The newest addition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Me
> 
> This request is done in two parts. The first part will focus on Deet and how she was adopted, while part two will focus on Rian and his first day at the Castle of the Crystal.

“Poor little one.” 

The gelfling Maudra sighed sadly as she looked at the sleeping baby in her arms. Another baby who had lost her mother in childbirth. 

“At least the mother had time to name her child before she passed.” One of the midwives said to Argot. 

The Maudra nodded. “Yes. At least little Deethra has something to remember her mother by.” 

“It’s an honest shame.” The midwife said. “Having Chansity lose her husband only a couple days before Deethra was born. Then having her own life taken away.”

“At least they’re together now.” Argot didn’t want to focus on the negative. “For now, I’ll keep an eye on the little one. Iris, do you think you can find someone who’ll want to take her in.”

Iris nodded. “I’ll ask around.”

—-  
Argot stirred in her sleep when the loud wails of a baby reached her ears. She groaned quietly and opened her eyes, sitting up slightly. Deet had woken up again, and she had considered just falling back asleep and let Deet fall asleep on her own, but she got up from bed anyway and made her way over to Deet’s crib, picking up the wailing childling.

“Hush now, Deethra.” The Maudra whispered, gently bouncing the baby in her arms in an attempt to get her back to sleep. “It’s alright. I’m here.” 

The baby kept on crying, much to Argot’s dislike. She was so focused on her efforts to get Deethra back to sleep, she almost missed the knock on her door. With a yawn, she opened her door. “Iris?”

“Good morning, Maudra!” Iris said in a chipper tone. 

“Morning? It’s morning already?” Argot asked, idly bouncing the still crying child in her arms.

“Mm-hmm! How did the little one sleep last night?”

“Not well.” Argot admitted. “She woke up about two times last night.” 

“Well, you know how childling’s are. Anyway, I think I found a couple who would gladly take Deethra into their family.”

“Really? Who?”

“Do you know Lath’N and Mitjan? They were very good friends of Chansity, and they would be very happy to adopt her little one.” 

“Yes, I do. They recently married, right?”

Iris nodded. “Yes. They’ve been married for about 2 months now.” 

“Perfect. Whenever you get the chance, tell them I would like to see them.”

—-  
“Lath’N, Mitjan, Thank you for coming.”

Lath’N nodded. “Thank you Maudra for this opportunity.”

“We were both deeply saddened after hearing about Chansity’s passing.” Mitjan added. “So when Iris told us that her baby was up for adoption, we said we would love to take her in.”

“Well, I’m glad that you two are allowing little Deethra into your home. Let me go get her. She should be up from her nap by now.”

Argot turned and left the room, leaving Mitjan and Lath’N to excitedly whisper among themselves about their newest potential family member. It made the Maudra smile, hearing them so excited to finally have a child of their own.

She made her way to Deet’s crib, where the little one had managed to break free of her swaddle and was currently in the process of attempting to chew off her own foot. When she saw Argot, Deet let out a giggle, holding her arms out towards the Maudra. 

“Silly child.” Argot said with a chuckle. She wrapped Deet back up in the swaddle and picked her up out of her crib, earning a coo from Deet.

“Best save your excitement, little one.” Argot whispered. “You’re about to meet your new family.”

—-  
“Mitjan, Lath’N. I’d like you to meet Deethra, the newest edition to your family.”

Argot carefully passed over Deet, who stared up at him with her curious brown eyes. “Hello, little one.” Mitjan smiled, gently stroking the baby’s cheek. “I’m your new dad.”

Deet let out a happy squeal, which caused Mitjan and Lath’N to laugh quietly. “I think she likes that very much.” Lath’n said. He looked over his mate’s shoulder at Deet, a small smile on his face.

“Welcome to the family, Deethra.”


	4. Just a Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by TheThirdStageOfDeath
> 
> HOO BOY DID THIS TAKE A WHILE
> 
> This thing took me about two months to write, and the end result took up about 16 pages. So yeah, this thing is lengthy. But I hope it was worth the wait!
> 
> This story features a story within a story/flashbacks, which are written in italics.
> 
> Also the beginning is kind of junky, but it gets better.

Seladon sat down with a sigh, rubbing her temples. Another council meeting had ended, and it ended up being more stressful than helpful to the Resistance.

“Don’t worry, sister.” Brea said in a calming tone, patting her sister on her back. “One day, we’ll get something done.”

“But will we get it done in time? Every day, the threats go stronger, and if we keep this constant cycle of bickering up, we’ll end up causing our own doom.”

“Don’t focus on that, Seladon. We can get through this. We always have. Go rest now, sister. Let’s put this behind us for now.”

“Yes. That sounds like a good idea.” But before Seladon could leave the council hall, the doors opened, and a Stonewood paladin entered.

“All-Maudra.” The paladin bowed. “Perimeter scouts have reported a disturbance just outside of Stone-in-the-Wood. How should we respond?”

“Send someone to investigate. How about Naia? Yes, send Naia out. And Brea, you’ll attend Naia, alright?”

Brea nodded. “I will.”

“Thra protect you, sister.”

—-  
Naia pushed aside thick pieces of dead underbrush, allowing Brea to pass through. They had been searching the area for well over an hour, though most of it was Naia attempting to hack through the overgrown underbrush.

“What are we even looking for?” Naia asked Brea. “Did anyone say?”

Brea shook her head. “They just said that the perimeter guards reported a disturbance. They didn’t go into any specifics.”

“Great. They could’ve just heard a crawlie, for all we know.” Naia huffed, cutting through more underbrush. “Ugh, why are these thorn bushes so thick? Thorn bushes are not this thick!”

Brea approached the thorn bush, giving it a look-over. “Naia, look.” She carefully pushed the branches aside, revealing dark purple roots spreading across the ground. “The darkening is spreading again.”

“What? But I thought it stopped spreading ages ago. Plus, wouldn’t the entire area be infected by now?”

“I don’t know.” Brea looked up, trying to trace the source of the veins. “They’re coming from the center of the forest. The answer might be there. Follow me.”

—-  
The dead grass crunched beneath their feet, seeming to echo across the quiet forest. The trees were streaked with thick purple veins, and the negative energy was putting Brea on edge.

“I don’t like this.” Brea whispered with a trembling voice. “I want to go back.”

“Brea, I know you’re nervous. I am too, but we need to find out what caused this. If it was recent, then the threat could still be around.”

“But what if it isn’t a recent attack? What if it was Deet on the day of the fight? What if this was her doing?”

“But wouldn’t the veins be faded by now if that was the case? Deet has been missing for two trine now, but these veins are still full of energy. There’s something causing this, and I’m going to find out what it is. If it’s a threat to us, we’ll have to get rid of it. You can do this, Brea. Just stay behind me.”

With a shaky breath, Brea followed after Naia, resting a hand on her dagger attached to her belt.

Naia stopped walking, ears perked. “Stop walking.” She commanded. “I hear something.”

Brea stopped, her ears also perked. “What? I don’t hear anything.”

“Listen closely. It sounds like...someone’s crying.”

“I still don’t…” She paused. There it was, the sound of someone softly crying. “Yes, I hear it now! But why is someone all alone out here? Everyone I know refuses to come even close to here.”

“I don’t know, but something must be wrong. The voice is coming from the clearing. Come on, follow me!”

—-  
“The voice is coming from somewhere around here.” Naia’s eyes scanned the clearing, which appeared to be empty. “But where?”

“Do you think they’re hiding somewhere in the trees?” Brea suggested. “Maybe to hide themselves from the open?”

“That’s a good observation. Search the treeline. I’ll go search the forest again.”

Brea nodded. “Be careful, Naia. I’ll come look for you if I find anything.”

—  
“Hello?” Brea called out, carefully stepping into the treeline. “Is anyone out here?”

The crying had stopped, which only made things more difficult. And with the suns beginning to set, she had to act fast before she was forced to stop her search.

“If you can hear me, say something!” She called out again, hoping that the person could hear her better. As she walked, the vegetation only got thicker, forcing Brea to stop and try and shimmy her way through all the tree branches and thorn bushes. When she finally broke through, her hair was full of sticks and leaves, and mud was smeared all over her skin.

“Ew.” She brushed off her dress, and tried to wipe the mud and dirt from her face. Her efforts were in vain, instead causing it to smear. With a groan, she continued forward, but when she took a step forward, she felt a tug. Her dress had gotten caught on a thorn plant.

Brea groaned again, and she gripped the skirt of her dress, yanking on it to free the material from the plant’s thorns. When that didn’t work, she got down on her knees to try and free the fabric from the thorns. She worked quickly, gently picking the thorns out of the fabric, until her dress was free. She sighed in relief. Her dress wasn’t torn.

Before she stood up, something caught her eye. There was a scrap of fabric on the thorns. It wasn’t from Brea’s dress, that was for sure. The fabric was brown, not blue. With nimble fingers, Brea carefully removed the fabric from the thorn patch.

The fabric strip was torn and stained, but despite the strip’s ratty appearance, the fabric was incredibly soft, much softer than any other fabric that Brea had ever felt. Its softness was actually something that Brea recognized.

—-  
She had arrived at another clearing, a different one. It was bigger than the other one, and it was darkened. All of the trees were littered with purple veins and the grass was dead and black. It also appeared to be the source of the evil energy that Brea had felt earlier. It seemed to be seeping through the trees, putting Brea on edge. A shiver raced down her spine. She couldn’t stay there. She turned to run, but that’s when she heard something.

She turned around, her eyes darting around the clearing. That’s when she finally noticed the figure laying in the middle of the clearing. Brea didn’t remember seeing it before, so she must have just skipped over the body in her panic.

Despite a feeling telling her to run, she started to slowly walk towards the figure, the dead grass crunching loudly under her feet. Brea had to be careful, after all, she had no idea if the person was dangerous or not. They could be faking it, and they could lash out at her once she got close enough. But then again, the person could be genuinely hurt or sick, and needed help. But Brea couldn’t tell from far away, since the figure was laying on their side, and the hood of their shredded cloak was pulled over their head.

With careful steps, Brea lowered herself onto her hands and knees, and slowly crept the rest of the way to the center of the clearing. The figure had yet to stir, so it was safe to assume that the person was unconscious, or had yet to hear Brea creep up on them.

Brea gently rolled the figure onto their back, taking note of the unusual coldness of the person’s skin, along with the slight shallowness of their breathing, and some physical features of the person. A female, no older than Brea. Green skin, so either a Grotton or Drenchen. The girl’s facial features were hidden under her hood, so Brea gently took it off of her head.

—-  
Her hands began to tremble once she took the hood off of the unconscious girl. It was Deet, the friend she had lost many trine ago. But what was Deet doing all the way out here? And why wasn’t she infected with the darkening? The only sign of the once corrupting infection were the faint purple scars on the edges of her face. All other signs of the darkening were gone.

Brea gave Deet a gentle slap on her cheek. She didn’t stir, so Brea did it again. Nothing. Not a stir, or any other signs of life. Now getting more worried, Brea shook Deet by the shoulder.

“Deet? Can you hear me? If you can, open your eyes.” Brea waited for a sign, but there was nothing. “Deet, wake up!” Brea shook Deet by the shoulder again. Her breathing increased as Deet continued to lay still. Something was wrong, she could sense it. But there wasn’t much she could do. She wasn’t trained in healing, and the little healing knowledge she knew wasn’t going to help Deet.

“Naia!” Brea called out. She hoped that Naia was close enough to hear her. Otherwise, she would have to go search for her, which would cause her to leave Deet by herself, and if Brea got lost on the way back, they would have to come back to search, as the suns had long set. And she didn’t want to leave Deet alone. Not like this.

She was about to call out Naia’s name again when she heard a rustle in the trees. Naia stumbled through the tree line, cursing under her breath as she pulled leaves from her dreadlocks.  
“Brea, did you find something?” Naia looked up and stopped in her tracks once she saw Brea with Deet’s head cradled in her lap. “Deet? Brea, what happened to her?”

“I don’t know, Naia. I found her here. She wouldn’t wake up, I-I think she’s sick.” Brea carefully passed Deet’s body over to Naia. Naia pressed her hand against Deet’s cheek and forehead, shivering at the coldness of Deet’s skin.

“Something’s wrong with her.” Naia said. “We need help. Go get someone, anyone! And be quick!”

—-  
“We have to go look for them. They’ve been gone since before sunset, they could be lost or hurt.”

Rian looked to the forest, then back to Gurjin. “I understand your concern, but we’ll just get lost ourselves, Gurjin. The Dark Woods are huge, we’ll just be running in circles.”

“Rian, my sister is in those woods. I’m not leaving until she comes back, even if it means going in there myself.”

“That’s your choice.” Rian said with a scoff. “If you want to go in there and get lost, go right on ahead.”

“Who said I was going in there by myself? You’re coming with me, Rian.”

“Sorry Gurjin, but I’m not going in there. You can take Kylan or one of the paladins, but I’m not going into those woods.”

Before Gurjin could fire a retort, there was a rustle from the woods. Gurjin and Rian both went for their swords, but before Rian could draw his weapon, something ran into him, knocking him onto the ground. Rian sat up with a groan, rubbing the back of his head.

“What the…” Rian saw what ran into him, which was a dirty, messy-haired Brea. She had already gotten up, and was panting heavily, trying to calm herself down enough so she could speak.

“Brea?” Gurjin helped Rian back to his feet, and brushed some dirt from his friend’s armor. “What happened? You look like you ran through a swamp.”

Brea shot him a look. “I’d like to see you run through a forest for over half of a day and not get dirty, but that isn’t the point! We found...just come with me! I'll explain it on the way.”

Before Brea could run back into the forest, Gurjin grabbed her by the wrist. “Brea, what’s going on? Is Naia hurt?”

“No, not Naia. But someone else is. Just follow me.” Brea shook loose from Gurjin’s grip and ran back into the woods. Rian and Gurjin exchanged worried glances, and followed after Brea into the Dark Woods.

—-  
Naia pressed her palm against Deet’s forehead, the soft glow of her healing magic casting a soft blue light over the clearing. Naia wasn’t even sure if her magic would work, since Deet didn’t have any physical injuries, but it was worth a shot. She pulled Deet’s cloak closer around her shoulders. It was thin and raggedy, but it worked somewhat in keeping out the cold.

The glow faded from Naia’s palm, casting them into darkness as she took her hand off of Deet’s forehead. Naia sighed. She knew the magic had a chance of failing, but she still felt a twinge of disappointment when Deet didn’t stir. That is until she heard Deet’s breathing hitch.

Naia’s ears perked. “Deet? Can you hear me?”

“N-Naia? Is that you?”

Naia let out a gasp. Her magic had worked somewhat after all. She hugged Deet tightly, unable to contain her joy.

“Deet! You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

Naia pulled back from the hug to look at Deet’s face. It was dark, so Naia couldn’t pick out her facial features, but the moonlight reflected from Deet’s large eyes, which were focused on Naia.

“Where am I?” Deet’s voice was low and scratchy. “Am...Am I dead?”

“Dead? No, Deet, you’re not dead. Far from it.” Naia began to grow concerned. What made Deet think she had died? “What made you think that?”

“They told me you were dead. That you were all dead.” Deet’s voice was barely above a whisper, and Naia could feel Deet beginning to tremble.

“Who did? Deet, are you feeling ok? Did you hit your head or something?” Naia felt Deet’s forehead again. No fever. In fact, she had gotten colder. “Deet, who told you that?”

No answer. Deet had fainted again.

—-  
Deet woke in a startle, her hand pressed tightly against her chest, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Woah there.” She felt someone beginning to gently rub her back, and she turned to see who it was.

“Rian? But...how did I...I was just…”

“Shh. I’ll explain everything. Just lay back down.” He assisted her in helping her lay back down on the bed, and he pulled the blankets back over her. Once he knew she was comfortable, he started talking.

“Brea lead Gurjin and I to you late last night. She came out of the woods in a hurry, in fact she ran into me, and told us to follow her. At first, we thought she was saying that Naia was hurt, but she said it wasn’t Naia that was hurt, but someone else. We were confused, but we followed her. When we got to you, you were unconscious and ice cold. We couldn’t get you to wake up, so we brought you back here.”

“Yesterday was hazy.” Deet rubbed at her temple, trying to soothe her pounding head. “Just a blur.”

“Naia said you were slipping in and out before we got there.” Rian turned and grabbed a cup of water sitting on the bed stand beside him. He held it out to Deet, who took it with a nod of thanks. “She also said that you were muttering things that concerned her.”

“Hmm? What did I say?” She asked in between sips of water.

“She said you thought you were dead, and that she was dead as well. When she tried to question you, you wouldn't say anything.”

Deet let out as a quiet sigh at this statement. “I guess you want an explanation. I suggest you get comfortable. This is going to take a while.”

———————-

_She couldn’t tell whether it was day or night. The purple haze that obscured her vision made it impossible to tell._

_The haze also made it hard to tell where she was exactly. It was a forest of some kind, she knew that for sure. But she was lost in this forest, with nowhere to go, and no idea where to turn._

_After days of wandering, Deet eventually decided to stop and rest. Even though she couldn’t see all that well, her other senses had heightened. Getting down on her hands and knees, she began to crawl around, using her touch and her hearing to help her find a place that was somewhat hidden so that she could sleep._

_Her hand brushed a tree root, covered in soft moss. Maybe the tree had a burrow? Many burrowing creatures dug burrows underneath trees, after all._

_Deet crawled forward, and the ground beneath her dipped slightly. There was a burrow underneath the tree. It seemed empty, so Deet quietly crawled in, and fell asleep the second her head hit the ground._

_—-_   
_Deet didn’t know how long she was asleep, but she did know what woke her up, which was the light of the afternoon suns. That was weird. Her eyes weren’t sensitive before._

_She sat up, her hands covering her eyes to try and block out the blinding rays of the suns. But she couldn’t hold her hands over her eyes forever._

_Her cloak. It was of a thick enough material, yet thin enough for her to see through the fabric. Taking her hands from her eyes, she blindly searched through the burrow in search of her discarded cloak. When she found it, she tore a strip of fabric from the cloak, and tied it tightly around her eyes. Much better._

_She peeked her head out of the burrow, carefully climbing out so as to not make any noise. She didn’t want to alert any creatures nearby. She took a look around. That’s when she noticed that her vision was clear again, or in other words, not purple._

_She looked to her wrists. The veins were gone. The darkening...had left her? How? No time to think about it now. First, find the way back to Stone-in-the-Wood. Maybe Brea will have the answer._

_Tying her cloak around her shoulder, Deet started her walk through the Dark Woods, hoping that she didn’t get lost on the way back._

_—-_   
_The river could be heard before she could see it. It was the sound of a strong current, loud and echoey in the quiet forest. Lured towards the sound, she cut through the trees, pushing aside tree branches and bramble bushes. Deet broke through the trees to the sight of a rapid, rushing river._

_From a distance, the water was pitch black, but as Deet approached the river, she learned that the water itself wasn’t black. In fact, it was actually quite clear. What made the water dark were the stones lining the river._

_“The Black River.” Deet said aloud. A river that flowed all across Thra, including Stone-in-the-Wood. “Follow the river.” She said to herself as she dipped her hand into the rapid current. The water was cool against her fingertips, which was nice against the heat of the day. She removed her hand from the water and wiped it dry on her dress. The suns had reached their midday peak, and if she wanted to reach Stone-in-the-Wood, she couldn’t waste time._

_—-_   
_Deet never hunger much like this before. Yes, there were days that she had skipped meals, but she hadn’t eaten in days, at least not much. She tried to hold herself out by using water from the river, but it wouldn’t hold her up much longer. She would soon need actual food, but from what? She had a dagger, but no knowledge how to hunt. Looks like she’ll have to settle for berry bushes, if she could find any._

_She sat by the river, sipping water from her shaking hands. The suns were setting, and the air had turned cool. Deet had been walking all day, but Stone-in-the-Wood still seemed like hours away. Even though the suns were setting, she made herself move forward. There was no time to rest._

_—-_   
_Deet wasn’t ready for how dark and cold the forest was at night. Even with her Grottan eyes, it was almost too dark for her to see. The cloak wrapped around her shivering frame was doing little to keep out the chilly breeze._

_She walked slowly, mainly to keep her footsteps quiet, but she also didn’t have the strength to walk any faster._

_Deet slumped against a tree, her hand pressed tightly over her pounding heart. She couldn’t go any further. Gently lowering herself to the ground, she pulled her cloak tightly around her shoulders, and she allowed her eyes to close._

_—-_   
_A flash of purple was what woke her. She sat upright, looking around the trees to find the source of the flash of light. That’s when she saw them. The veins that littered the trees._

_“The Darkening? All the way out here?” Deet placed her hand on one of the trees, expecting to feel the pulse of the darkened crystal, but there was nothing. No emotion. The tree was quiet._

_“What?” Her fingers traced the veins, but they were quiet. There was no energy._

_“Scars. These are scars.” The forest was once infected, but it wasn’t anymore. The forest was healed of the infection, but how?_

_A sudden shiver went down Deet’s back, and with it came the feeling of her being watched. She turned around, expecting to see someone, or something, staring back at her, but there wasn’t anyone there. Instead, it was an empty clearing with a great tree in the middle. A tree much bigger than any of the others. It was also covered in the scarring veins, like the other trees._

_Deet approached the tree. Unlike the other trees, this one had life in it. It called out to her. It had a story to tell, and Deet was the only one around who could hear it. “What story do you have for me?” She asked, almost mesmerised by the tree’s quiet voice as she laid her hands on the large roots of the tree._

_She was immediately thrown into a dreamfast. But the memories she saw weren’t her own, but of another Gelfling. A Drenchen girl, alone in the dark, healing the forest by dreamfasting with it. These were Naia’s memories._

_Deet lifted her hands from the tree, panting quietly. “The Cradle Tree.” She whispered to herself. The tree Naia had healed._

_Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a snapping branch. Something was out there with her. Drawing her dagger, she approached the sound, the grip on her dagger tightening. Deet turned the corner, half hidden behind a tree, but nothing was there. The forest was empty. Then she started to hear voices._

_“It’s been too long. I don’t think she’s still alive.”_

_Deet’s ears perked at the voice. “Father?” What was her father doing out in the woods?_

_The voice was a bit farther away. Sheathing her dagger, Deet ran in the direction of her father’s voice. But when she got there, she saw that it wasn’t just her father, but rather a group of her friends and family. They stood in a circle, sad looks cast on all of their faces._

_“We can’t give up now.” Rian. It was Rian’s voice. “She’s still out there somewhere.”_

_“Rian, it’s been two trine. If she was still alive, we would have heard from her by now.” Gurjin. He sounded upset._

_Deet’s ears twitched. Who were they talking about? Who was gone? Who had died?_

_“My daughter...gone.”_

_That’s when the realization struck her. They thought she was dead. But she wasn’t. She was standing right there, they just probably couldn’t see her. But surely they would have heard her approach. The crunch of the dead leaves were quite loud, even under the gentlest footsteps._

_She approached them, trying to keep her footsteps quiet, but loud enough so it would grab their attention. “I’m right here, see? I’m not dead. I’m still alive.”_

_They didn’t seem to hear her. They just stood still, eyes at the ground, the same sad look on all of their faces. “Wait, can you guys not hear me?” She reached out towards them, about to gently touch her father on the shoulder when another sound grabbed her attention. A much louder, much more aggressive sound. Deet whipped her head around, and immediately, her stomach sank. The Skeksis. They had found her._

_—-_   
_“Well, look what we have here!” The Skeksis Emperor laughed. “A lone little Gelfling. All the way out here.”_

_Deet stumbled backwards, trying to unsheath her dagger from her belt. “Get back! Don’t come near me!” She yelled, holding her dagger defensively in front of her. The Skeksis only laughed harder._

_“Aww, look at her little knife!” The Ornamentalist said in a teasing tone. “She thinks she can hold us off with that pathetic little blade! Oh, how funny!”_

_“I can already taste her essence!” The Gourmand chipped in._

_“Fresh essence?” SkekSo asked the other Skeksis, who all cheered in agreement._

_“I’ve been wanting to try a new ritual on the consumption of essence.” The Ritual Master said. “Looks like I’ll finally have the chance.”_

_“Looks like we’re all in agreement. Tonight, we shall feast like kings!” SkekSo cheered. The other Skeksis all cheered as well. “Now grab it. And don’t let it escape like the last one.”_

_The Skeksis all turned to her, their eyes all shined with malicious intent. “Don’t worry, little Gelfling.” SkekZok said. “We won’t hurt you. Yet.”_

_“I said stay back!” Deet yelled, tighting her grip on her weapon. She began to back up, trying to distance herself as much as she could from the Skeksis. However, what she failed to realize was the ledge behind her, and she failed to notice it until she slipped, falling in a heap at the bottom of the ledge._

_—-_   
_She sat up with a groan, clutching her now aching shoulder. That was an awkward landing. Her face ached, and she tasted blood on her tongue. Blood also poured from her nose, steadily dripping onto the forest floor._

_Other than her aching face and shoulder, nothing else seemed injured. Pressing the back of her hand to her nose in an attempt to stop the bleeding, she stood up, dusting off her now dirt-stained dress. Her dagger laid discarded on the ground a few meters away. She picked it up and placed it back in its sheath._

_“The Skeksis!” Deet turned around back towards the ledge, fumbling for her dagger, but she paused when she saw that they weren’t there. The ledge was empty, and the forest was quiet again._

_Deet stood there, confused. The Skeksis were just there, she was sure of it. Well, thought she was sure. They obviously weren’t there now. And it seemed like the other Gelfling she had seen in the forest were gone as well._

_“Okay, think. Naia has talked about something like this. But what did she say?” Deet paced back and forth on the forest floor, trying to think about the story Naia had told her about her first time in the Dark Woods. “Something about a tree and…” Now she remembered what it was. “The Cradle Tree causes visions!” The Skeksis were just visions! In that case, then the other Gelfling she saw were just visions as well, but she was more focused on the fact that she wasn’t actually being chased by the Skeksis._

_She let out a quiet sigh of relief. She was safe, for now._

_—-_   
_A sudden sound was what stirred Deet from her light sleep. Her eyes shot open, and she quickly sat up. She wasn’t asleep for very long, since it was still quite dark outside._

_“Who’s there?” Deet called out. She didn’t want to get herself worked up over something as small as a sound. Her body was already weak, so another wild goose chase through the woods was the last thing she needed._

_The noise came again. Footsteps, and they were getting closer. Deet sighed in annoyance, but she stood up, her hand gripping her dagger. She peeked around her hiding spot, and was surprised to see another Gelfling. They were shrouded in the shadows, but Deet could feel them staring at her from across the forest._

_“Who are you?” Deet stepped out from behind the tree, dagger drawn, approaching the figure. “Who are you, and how did you get here?”_

_The figure stood still, not making any effort to move or to answer any of Deet’s questions._

_“Answer me!” Deet yelled at the Gelfling. “Otherwise, I’m afraid I’m going to have to drag you into the light of the moon myself. And I’m not in the mood to wrestle with you, so make this easy on the both of us and just step out into the light.”_

_The figure, while staying still for a few more moments, finally decided to heed Deet’s word. “A bit of an empty threat, if you ask me.” The Gelfling said as they stepped out of the shadows._

_“Rian?” Deet’s hands began to tremble at the sight of the Stonewood male in front of her. “How did you...what are you doing out here?” She sheathed her dagger, and took his hand into hers. His skin was cold, almost too cold. In fact, he looked sick. He was pale, and his hair was tangled and matted, the normally bold blue streaks now faded to grey. “Are you okay? You’re cold.”_

_“I’m a bit lost, that’s all.” His voice was rather monotone, and his expression was flat._

_“That wasn’t my question. And secondly, what are you doing out here? There’s no reason for you to be out here. And if so, you should know you’re way back.”_

_Rian didn’t react or respond, just standing still, his hand limp in her grip. He wasn’t even blinking. “Um...Rian?” Deet snapped her fingers, trying to snap him out of his sudden trance. “Rian? Can you hear me?”_

_“I need to take you to the castle.” His dull blue eyes stared into hers, sending a shiver down Deet’s spine._

_“The Castle? Rian, we both have no business there.” Deet responded calmly. She untied her cloak from her shoulders and placed it around Rian’s shoulders. “It’s a bit thin, but this might warm you up a bit. Now let’s go. I can hear the river from here, and that will guide us back.”_

_Deet began to lead Rian by the hand towards the direction of the river. She was having to forcibly pull him in said direction, he wasn’t making much of an effort to move, so she was pretty much dead weight. “Rian, I can’t carry your weight forever, you know.”_

_Suddenly, he ripped his hand from her grip. When she turned around to see what was the matter, he was gone. “Uh, Rian?” Deet called out. Where did he go? She didn’t hear him leave, which was what was confusing her. She should have heard him leave. He couldn’t have snuck away. “Rian? Where did you go?” She called out again. Now she was getting exasperated. “Rian, this isn’t funny!”_

_Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, and Deet let out a scream of surprise. She whipped her head around to see that it was Rian. “Oh, Rian!” Deet began to chuckle quietly. “Don’t scare me like that! And no more hiding. I can’t keep chasing you around these woods. Now put me down so we can get going.”_

_Rian’s grip only tightened on Deet’s waist, which prompted Deet to struggle slightly against his grip. “Rian...that’s a bit too tight.”_

_“I can’t allow you to escape.” Rian said in the same dry, monotone voice. “The Skeksis want you, and I can’t betray the Lords.”_

_“What? Rian, let me go!” Deet began to thrash, trying to break the tight grip around her waist. Something was wrong, very wrong. Rian would never turn back to the Skeksis, not after what they had done. So what was wrong? He wasn’t under the control of anything, at least not that she could see. Maybe he was drained? He looked drained, but didn’t the drained die soon after?_

_“Stop fighting me!” Rian tightened his grip again, which made Deet gasp in discomfort. The added pressure to her waist was beginning to make it a bit hard to breathe, but she continued to fight Rian’s grip._

_“I said...let me go!” She only had one more chance to break free before Rian basically crushed the life out of her, and with a well-placed kick to the knee, she was able to loosen his grip enough for her to slip free. She clutched her stomach, panting heavily to regain her breath. “Rian, what is wrong with you?!”_

_“I have to do my part for the Skeksis. And my part involves capturing you. Stay still. I can’t have you slip through my fingers again.”_

_“I’m not letting you take me!” She unsheathed her dagger. She could feel her nails beginning to dig into her palms as she gripped the blade. “I don’t want to hurt you, but you're not giving me much of a choice. So please, let’s just go back to Stone-in-the-Wood, and we can act like this never happened.”_

_Rian stared at her, and she could see his expression begin to soften. Deet felt a wave of relief rush over her. She seemed to finally be getting through to him. But that relief was short-lived when Rian suddenly charged at her. Without thinking, Deet swung her dagger._

_When she opened her eyes, nothing was there. Rian was gone again._

_Deet spun around, holding out her dagger, looking around, ears perked. That’s when the realization hit her again. “He was just another vision. Just a vision.”_

_Why didn’t that make her feel better?_

_—-_   
_She didn’t even know what direction she was walking in anymore. She just ran, she had to get away after that experience, and now she found herself lost again. Physically, and mentally._

_Everything didn’t seem real anymore. Was this just a vision? Was she a vision? Was this brought on by her own exhausted mind and her worry and not the Cradle Tree? The thoughts swimming in her head only made her more exhausted, and she fell to her knees, trembling. She collapsed on the forest floor, her eyes fluttering shut._

———————-  
Rian could only stare at her once she finished speaking. “Woah. That’s...that’s a lot to take in.”

“Sorry to lay that on you all at once. It was a lot to deal with, especially with the exhausted state I was in. Especially with the fact that I got another vision when I woke up.” Deet looked down at her hands when she said that sentence. “The last vision was a bit more heavy. And...more troubling.”

“Troubling? Troubling in what way?”

“You best settle in again. It’s time for another story.”

———————-  
 _Deet woke up in a coughing fit. Something was burning, and the smoke was all that she could smell. She sat up, covering her mouth and nose with her hand to try and block the smell of smoke. She looked up, and that’s when she noticed the source of the smoke._

_She was in Stone-in-the-Wood, somehow. How she got there, she didn’t know, but that wasn’t her focus at the moment. What was her focus was the fact that the village was burning._

_The smoke burned her eyes and throat as she ran through the burned remains of the houses. From the looks of it, the small town was empty, so that was a worry off her shoulders. What was now her biggest concern was finding a way out. The smoke was making her mind hazy, and it hurt to breathe._

_Then came a sound. It was a weird clicking noise, one Deet had never heard before. She turned around, and her eyes widened at the sight of the creatures approaching the ruins of the village._

_The creatures were large, covered in shiny, black armor that reflected the firelight. Paired with their monstrous size and large claws, it was enough to freak Deet out. She took a step back, trying to hide from the gaze of the massive creatures. But she tripped over a fallen beam, landing with a yelp._

_The creatures turned their heads towards her. Great, now she had been seen._

_The last thing she remembered were the creatures approaching her._

———————-  
“Oh, Deet.” Rian gave her a pat on the shoulder. “What a night, huh?” He said with a light chuckle. “Thankfully, you don’t have to deal with that anymore.”

Deet didn’t return his light-hearted attitude. She just stared down at her hands, which were shaking slightly. “Uh, Deet?” Rian placed his hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright? Is something wrong?”

Deet looked up at Rian, her eyes full of tears. “I don’t think that was just a random vision, Rian. I think...I think that was the future of the Gelfling.”

“Future? Deet, what makes you think that?”

“What else could it be? Rian, this is serious. If this is the future of Gelfling, then we might not have much time left. We don’t have time to be skeptical about this.” Tears began to pour from her eyes, which she wiped away with the back of her hand. “So, please. Believe me.”

“Shh. Come here.” Rian brought Deet into a gentle hug. She buried her face into his chest as he stroked her hair. “It’s a lot to take in, but I fear you might be right. But let’s not focus on that.” He pulled away from the hug, and he cupped Deet’s cheek in his hand. “If it is true, we need to make what time we have left last. And whatever happens, I promise I’ll stick with you to the very end.”

“Promise?” Deet said shakily?”

Rian smiled, and pressed a deep kiss to her forehead. “I promise.”


End file.
